Sunday, June 11, 2017

My Style Summary

So, somewhere along the road of cleaning out my entire house of things that didn't "spark joy" or that I didn't find to be "beautiful or useful" I sort of put my Curated Closet journey on hold. I went back to it a few weeks ago and have been working with it some, so thought I'd update on my progress.

One of the reasons that I put it on hold was that I had added several new pieces from Trunk Club. I had winnowed out a lot of stuff. I still felt unsettled. Like I loved some of my pieces, but I still felt things were lacking, but I didn't know what. So I decided to live with what I had for awhile, and then go from there.

From the beginning I've known that one of the hardest things is that, on a day-to-day basis, I don't wear very much. Scrubs to work (or occasionally I'll dress up), then when I get home it is all about comfort and functionality. Right now I'm wearing jean shorts, a white tank top, and Birkenstock sandals. I haven't showered since Friday. And I am totally OK with that.

But on Friday we went out for a friend's birthday party. I wore my white jeans, a gray tank top from D.Diff and my black and white Toms sandals. I may not wear something that nice for many, many weeks again. But when the time comes, I like to have something that I feel comfortable in, and that I feel good in. So, there needs to be a balance. And I need to be OK with owning some clothes that I won't wear very often. I just need to make sure the nicer clothes I do own work well with each other, and keep them to a few that you can mix and match and re-wear when the time comes.

So, I've gotten to the end of the first part of this book. The first part is all about helping you define your style. I scoured the internet, made Pinterest boards, saved images, tried on clothes. Then you sort of analyze. So, I'll share with you the last questions, and my responses to them.

What is the best name for your personal style?
Classic east coast prep meets sporty comfort with a hint of bohemian inspirationIn one or two sentences, what's the overall idea behind your style?
My personal style is based on clothes that are comfortable and functional, like sneakers, Toms, modest shorts/pants and knit tops in a neutral-heavy color palette with pops of color or bold patterns. It looks put together and classic, and is comfortable enough to chase my kids in.

What does a typical outfit look like for this style?
In the winter - a pair of skinny jeans and a sweater or chambray shirt with a pair of boots.
In the summer - modest shorts with a loose fitting top and Birkenstock sandals.
For work - ankle pants with boots or flats, modest top +/- cardigan sweater
Dressed up - a comfortable dress with wedge sandals

What does the style say about its wearer? What three character qualities does it convey?
I like to think it says that I like to look nice, but am more focused on experiences than trends. Classy, confident, fun.

What are the dominant colors?
Black, white, navy, gray. Pops of turquoise, salmon, red, sky blue. I've been trying to keep most pieces pretty neutral, then just have a few with pops of color that I really enjoy.

Which silhouettes, cuts and fits are part of this style?
Bottoms are skinny jeans, or wide leg (like linen pants). Shorts should hit mid thigh, or be bermuda length. Skirts should be maxi or pencil, not too short. Tops should be loose fitting (too tight makes me uncomfortable) and not too low cut or see through. Shoes are flat for the most part. A pop of color in a pair of fun shorts/pants or top makes me happy.

What type of materials and fabrics work well with this style?
Machine washable is a must right now. Cotton, wool, some polyester. Chunky knits. Things need to wear well and withstand the test of time.

What does the styling look like? Think accessories, specific styling techniques, and hair and make up.
I used to wear a lot of "statement" pieces for jewelry, but my kids just try to pull it off of me. I've been keeping it simple - pearl or silver stud earrings. Simple foundation, blush, mascara. Short hair that takes a few minutes to pull off and looks OK if I choose not to blow dry it. I've gotten away from necklaces, but look forward to wearing some turquoise jewelry again when my baby quits trying to rip it off.

So, while I still don't feel as though I'm 100% there, I think I have a better handle on what I want my clothes to convey, as well as what I feel comfortable and confident in.

Three weeks to garage sale time. I'm not sure how much stuff we'll actually sell, but I'm excited to sell what we can and donate the rest so that I can feel like we have that physical and metaphorical weight off our shoulders!

1 comment:

Love your answers! That's where I got to in that book too. I need to pick it back up again. I know I tried to define my style, one word I used was Boho, but it was higher on my list :). Right now I have more than enough statement pieces....I have a lot of dresses, I like to wear something besides capris in the summer, but not always crazy about shorts, so shifts, dresses. Anyway, your blog entry makes me want to start looking at all of it again.